Far West: The Story of British Columbia

Ann Turner, formerly the financial and budget manager of the University
of British Columbia Library, is a freelance writer.

Who would have thought that B.C. history could be so appealing? First of
all, this is an exceptionally beautiful book by any standard. Large,
superbly reproduced colour and historical photographs illustrate every
page. The glossy paper and crisp, comfortably readable type draw the
reader into the text, which tells the B.C. story in straightforward
language. The emphasis is on the people of British Columbia, who
settled, worked, and spent their lives there from the earliest times.
“Fast facts” and short articles headed “BC Spotlight,” “BC
Creatures,” “BC Places,” and “In Their Own Words” (quotations
from historical figures), which are set into the text like intriguing
sticky notes, present interesting details on a multitude of topics. The
book is organized chronologically in chapters covering major periods in
B.C. history, such as the gold rush, World Wars I and II, and the boom
times that followed. An illustrated timeline of selected noteworthy
events from 8500 BC to 2003 ties it all together. Highly recommended.